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Sanguisorba is from the Latin sanguis ("blood") and sorbere (" to drink, or absorb".) Folk medicine practitioners believed that the sap from this genus would stop bleeding. Native to Europe and naturalized in much of North America, salad burnet was popular in medieval gardens and has been used for flavoring and medicine for centuries. Thomas Jefferson even planted it for erosion control, as it tolerates poor soil quite well.

The Plant of the Week

Flaming TorchBillbergia pyramidalis

Billbergia pyramidalis is a bromeliad, named for 19th century Swedish attorney and amateur biologist Gustaf Johan Billberg. Like most bromeliads, Billbergias are native to tropical regions, but have adapted well to semi-tropical climates, such as Florida in the United States.

This species is commonly called "flaming torch," a reference to the red flowers that appear in late summer, held erect above the green strappy leaves. The flowers are striking from a distance as well as close-up. In warmer areas, the plants will colonize, creating large swaths of color. For those in more temperate climates, The species is well adapted as a houseplant, requiring bright light, medium humidity and minimal feeding.

Billbergias were among the first Bromeliads to be introduced to cultivation in the U.S. Many of them became popular in the late 1800s and early 20th century, as botanists discovered them and brought them back to the delight of collectors and tropical plant enthusiasts.

Carl Thunberg (a contemporary of Linnaeus) named Billbergia in honor of Billberg, whom he called "Botanicus longe celeberrimus, Florae Suecicae elegantissimus Auctor meritissimus." (Translated as "...in honor of the most well known botanist, the most wise author of the elegant Flora of Sweden, Master Gust. Johan Billberg.")